Improvement in reversible latches



W.-E; SPARKS. Reversible Latch. No. 209,990. patented-Nov. 19,1878.

N-PETERS, MOTD-UTNDGRAPMEH, WASHINGTON. D. 6

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

, WILLIAM E. SPARKS, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO P. 86 F.CORBIN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENTIIN' REVERSIBLE LATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,990, dated November19, 1878 application filed October 12, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. SPARKS, of New Britain, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Latches, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists in the combination of a latch-bolt, two levers,and slotted hub with two springs, acting to return the parts to theirrespective places, both of which springs and levers are acted upon whenthe latch-bolt is drawn inward by means of the knob-spindle, and onlyone set of which springs and levers is acted upon when the latch-bolt isforced inward through the medium of the striker-plate, as hereinafterdescribed; also, ina reversible latch, the bar of the latch-bolt havingthe lug shown, in combination with slotted hub, spring, and leveroperated by the hub, said lever acting upon the bar through the lug, ashereinafter more fully described; also, in a general combination ofparts, as hereinafter more fully described.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is.

a front elevation of a latch which embodies my invention, the frontplate being detached, and the latch represented with the latch-boltdrawn inward under the influence of the knobspindle. Fig. 2 is a likeview of the same, represented with the latch-bolt forced inward underthe influence of the striker-plate. Figs. 3 and 4 are detached views ofparts thereof. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of said latch on line w wof Figs. 1, as viewed from the under side; and Fig. 6 is a detached viewof a modified form of latch-bolt, which adapts the invention to anon-reversible latch.

My invention relates to that well-known class of latches in which thebolt is operated by a hub, having one short arm and one long arm, actingupon a lever at one side of the hub.

Adesignates the hub, slotted about half-way through on its back edge, asindicated by broken lines in Fig. 1, the slot being of a width that willadmit the two levers B C, both of which are hung to the stud a of thelatchcase D, so as to oscillate thereon. The levers B C have a shortarm, I) and 0, respectively, acting upon two separate springs, 61 0,arranged edge to edge in the case D. (See Fig. 5.)

When the latch-bolt is thrown outward and the'parts at'rest both arms ofthe hub A rest against the; edge of the under lever, B. The swinging endof the lever C is hung to the end of the bar E by means of the stud orpin f on said bar resting in a hole in said lever,

as shown. The bar E has the ordinary latch-.

is essential in a reversiblelatch, in order to allow the bolt to bedrawn forward for reversal. The spring h is merely to draw the bolt intothe case after'bein g pulled out to reverse, substantially as in priorlocks.

Iprefer to make the spring (I, which actsagainst the arm 12 of the underor rear lever B, more powerful than the spring 0.

The operation is as follows, viz: When the knob-spindle is turned tothrow either arm of the hub A against the edge of lever B the springd'resists such action, so that the inoperative movement of the hub,which is necessary in this class of reversible latches, is not felt bythe person who is operating the knobspindle. After moving a shortdistance the 7 end of the lever B engages with the lug g, therebycarrying the bar E, latch-bolt F, and lever C, hung to said bar with thelever B, the lever C acting against the spring 6 to depress it. Thespring 0! starts first, and (if the springs were evenwith each otherwhen at rest) it will be thrown into a position slightly in advance ofthe spring 0; but so soon as the lost motion of the lever. B is takenup, then both springs move together, but in the relative positionscaused by said lost motion. The position of the parts, with the boltdrawn inward through the medium of the knob-spindle and hub, is shown inFig. 1, in which position all of the power of both springs isbrought tobear in returning the parts to their former position.

When the door is swung to, so that the bolt is forced inwardly byengagement with the ordinary striker-plate, the hub A, lever B, and

its spring 01, which is the strongest one, all remain at rest, while thelever G, to which the bar E is hung, the spring 0, and said bar are theonly parts which are acted upon through the striker-plate. (See Fig. 2.)It is therefore necessary to make the spring 0 only of the requisitestrength to return the lever G and bar E to their former positions,whereby only a slight resistance is ofiered to the forcing in of thelatch-bolt under the influence of the striker, so that it will worksmoothly and easily, and with much less friction than when thelatch-bolt in moving inward necessarily compresses the spriug, whichreturns all the parts which are operated by the knob-spindle.

I have described the invention as applicable to reversible latches; butit is evident that a solid latch-bolt, F, as shown in Fig. 6, instead ofthe swiveled and reversible one, might be employed, and all theadvantages herein described of the two springs, levers, &c., attainedthereby.

I am aware that slotted hubs, levers, and slides of various forms areall old in reversible latches, examples of which may be seen in my priorPatents No. 198,704, December 25, 1877, and 201,958, April 2, 1878, allof which are hereby disclaimed.

I do not claim, broadly, a latch having two springs, only one of whichis compressed when the latch-bolt is forced inward by means of thestriker; but

I claim as my invention 1. The latch bolt and bar, two levers, B G, andthe slotted hub, in combination with two springs, d e, acting to returnthe parts to their respective positions, both of which springs andlevers are acted upon when the latch-bolt is drawn inward by means ofthe knob-spindle, and only one of which levers and springs is acted uponwhen the latch-bolt is forced inward through the medium of thestrikerplate, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a reversible latch, the bar E of the latch-bolt having the lug g,in combination with the slotted. hub A, spring d, and lever B, operatedby the hub, said lever acting upon the bar through the lug g, the latterbeing set so that when the parts are at rest it is away from andat oneside of the lever, so that said lever may move a given distance withoutmoving the bar, substantially as described, and for the purposespecified.

3. In a latch, the combination of the hub A, levers B G, springs d e,and bar E, havinglug g, and hung to the end of the lever 0, alloperating together, substantially as described, and for the purposespecified.

WlLLIAM E. SPARKS.

Witnesses CHARLES PnoK, W. B. THOMSON.

